The present invention relates to a propellant gas container for an internal combustion operated setting tool for driving in fastening elements such as nails, bolts, pins into a substrate. The propellant container has a housing and a housing inner space for receiving propellant, wherein a portable electrical power supply such as a battery or battery pack is arranged on the propellant container. The energy contents of the electrical power supply is adapted to the propellant content of the propellant container. This type of propellant gas container can be filled with powder fuels such as pills or cartridges but can also be filled with liquid or gaseous fuels. These propellants are used in the setting tool for driving a setting mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,473 discloses a fuel operated setting tool and a cartridge strip with a number of powder charges, wherein the cartridge strip is arranged in a magazine box serving as the propellant container. The cartridges or the magazine strip are arranged in the magazine box in layers.
Gaseous or fluid fuels are provided in propellant as pressure containers. DE 197 46 018 C2 discloses this type of pressure container.
Increasingly electrical consuming mechatronic functions are being provided in the setting tools in such internal combustion operated setting tools. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,280 discloses a setting tool in which an electrically operated fan is provided for flushing the combustion chamber. In this device, the required electrical power is provided by batteries arranged in a battery compartment. The propellant container is arranged as a pressure vessel in a separate compartment in the housing of the setting tool.
The drawback in such a device is that the housing must have two compartments, which results in higher manufacturing costs. Also, an operator must change the pressure vessel and the batteries separately when they are depleted.